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Kiszla: It's time for the Colorado Avalanche to grow up and win

Avalanche forward Matt Duchene celebrates near the Ducks' Corey Perry after scoring in the third period Monday night. John Leyba, The Denver Post

We're tired of the Avalanche babbling on and on about baby steps. Take off the training wheels. It's time to win.

After acquiring gritty forward Jamie McGinn with its second trade in a week, Colorado general manager Greg Sherman was asked by some smart aleck how important it was for the young Avs to gain playoff experience this year.

"I think it's crucial," Sherman said without hesitation.

It's refreshing to hear urgency in the Colorado dressing room. There should be pressure on coach Joe Sacco to make a playoff push during the final 18 games of the season. From Matt Duchene to Gabriel Landeskog, the Avs have a bunch of baby faces in the team photo. But, if they are truly talented, why should nailing down a berth for the Stanley Cup tournament be too much to expect?

This hockey team's recent history has read like a Facebook page of nothing except photos of toddler birthdays and puppy dogs.

Cute. And extremely boring.

On a Monday night when Colorado trounced Anaheim 4-1, Sherman reminded me at least three times: "We're the youngest team in the league."

So we've heard. Point taken. But stop the coddling, please.

The Avalanche doesn't reduce ticket prices because Landeskog is a rookie or Sherman is in his third season learning how to be a smarter hockey executive. All teams in all professional sports go through cyclical periods of boom and bust, but Pierre Lacroix taught us all long ago never to grade the Avs on a curve.

"We're all about winning," Sherman said.

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Now you're speaking our language.

The Avalanche has a distinctly gnarlier appearance than it did a week ago. First came the deal for Steve Downie, who not only looks like Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder but brings a healthy dose of grunge to the ice. During the final hours before the trade deadline, Colorado brought in McGinn, a forechecking machine, from San Jose.

Although the Sharks are among those Western Conference rivals ahead of the Avs in the standings, does Colorado management believe there's time to overtake San Jose before the regular-season ends? "No question," Sherman replied.

Ryan O'Reilly, back, Gabriel Landeskog and Steve Downie hook up for a goal Monday. John Leyba, The Denver Post

When Sherman talked, I detected something not heard from the local NHL team in far too long: genuine ambition.

With the numbers of Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, Ray Bourque and Joe Sakic hanging in the rafters, nostalgia for the way the Avs were can no longer sustain ticket sales. But who's in charge of building a new generation of success? Are Sherman and his staff ready to step out of the long shadow of Lacroix, the old architect who was sighted in the building after the victory against the Ducks? Who will take responsibility, whether it's ultimately credit or blame, for the trades that added McGinn and Downie to the roster?

"It's no different than it's ever been with Eric Lacroix, Joe Sakic and Brad Smith, the key hockey guys I'm surrounded by. Nothing's changed," Sherman said. "I'm the GM. I'm the chief of everyday hockey ops. I'm obviously surrounded by bright hockey people. We look at these scenarios and ultimately make the call."

Youth is an excuse only if the Avs allow it to be. A tie game was blown open in the third period. The lightning strike that sent Anaheim reeling shocked the Ducks 37 seconds into the period, on a goal by recently turned 21-year-old Ryan O'Reilly. He's the leader of the Soda Pop Line that also includes teenager Landeskog and Downie, the line's elder statesman at 24.

"Our best line right now is the young guys. And they're carrying the team right now. So I guess they are ready," Avalanche veteran Milan Hejduk said.

Despite an unsightly 3-13-1 record within the Northwest Division, the young Avs are beginning to believe their time is now. That faith will be put to the test with seven games down the stretch against division rivals.

"We definitely have huge pieces here that can take us far," Landeskog said. "We want to be in the playoffs. That's our goal. And I think it's more than reachable, to be honest with you. We know what we have to do."

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